Boko Haram: Nigeria Security Better Than It Was Before - Minister of Defense

The Minister of DefenseBashir Magashi has on Thursday claimed that the Nigerian Army is currently better than it was years ago.

Magashi who was reacting to the increasing attack by Boko Haram insurgents and bandits held that the Nigerian Army currently is one of the best on the continent and could defeat any enemy if provided with the right equipment.

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Making reference to the exploits of the Nigerian Army on foreign missions, the Defense minister further pointed out that the army has what it takes to defeat Boko Haram. 

“In Africa, Nigerian Army should be adjudged one of the best, we have conducted so many operations outside Nigeria. We went to ECOMOG (Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group), we did the very best we can. We went to Sierra Leone, we did the very best we can and some other places. We are a force that is reckon with in Africa but because of the nature of the prolongation of this war, people are getting tired.

“They (Boko Haram terrorists) are not concentrated in one particular place, it is an operation that they hit and run, we don’t even know their bases. Now, we know that the best way to fight these people is to get enough intelligence and go out there to fight them and this is what we are doing. Every day, we are getting information and the Nigerian Army and Air Force are running them down.

 “They don’t hold any ground in Borno State. The only thing with this kind of insurgent operation is that they want to surprise you, embarrass you and do whatever they think will attract international news or commotion. That is what they have been doing and that is why we are trying very hard to adopt tactics and other forms of operations in order to stop these people embarrassing this nation.

“At the moment, most people think because of these sporadic attacks here and there, we lost control or we are not doing our best. Most people know the problem of this country; the Armed Forces are overstretched, we are not supported by some of these countries we call our friends, they are not ready to give us what we need. But certainly, Nigeria is better of than what it was years ago,” he said.